Perfect Strangers
by cookie719
Summary: Damon and Elena are two souls into one flesh. They love with a passion like none other. But when a tragedy strikes, Elena is left to make a life-changing choice that could potentially erase their whole past. Is their love strong enough to defy the biggest obstacle yet?
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first Delena fanfiction, I hope readers will enjoy it! I've had this idea in my head for a while but I've been hesitant to put my ideas into words because I simply have trouble expressing my thoughts (aka I'm not a great writer). However, I will try my best to create a well-written story for you all. My goal for this story is not to get many followings/likes, but to actually finish it with a beautiful ending. I want to make a story that I will look back on later in my life and be proud of myself for writing it.**

 **Anyway, without further ado... here is Chapter 1 of Perfect Strangers!**

* * *

Five seconds.

Five seconds was all it took to have Elena's un-dead life turned completely upside down. _How could this happen? Why did this happen? Why us? Why today?_ These were all the thoughts that were going through Elena's head as she was sitting by Damon's bed, squeezing his hand as if she were going to lose him at any second.

"You can't do this to me again Damon," Elena whispered as tears continued to roll down her face. "I can't live without you."

 _ **2 Hours Earlier**_

It was the day of their 5th anniversary. Damon set up a romantic picnic in the same area where they had shared a kiss under the rain. He laid out a checkered picnic blanket and set a vase filled with beautiful red roses as well as scented candles on top of the blanket.

"Wow Damon, you really went all out," Elena said with a giggle. "How shockingly romantic of you."

"Hey, don't act so surprised. I can be pretty smooth when I want to be." Damon replied giving her the signature Damon Salvatore smoulder. _Ah, the eye thing._ Even after 5 years, Elena couldn't help but swoon every time her boyfriend gave her the special look with his enchanting blue eyes.

"So what's on the menu?" Elena asked excitedly as she tried to take a peek inside the picnic basket he was now reaching into.

"Ah, ah, ah," Damon chided, hiding the picnic basket out of Elena's sight with one hand while using his other hand to wag his index finger back and forth in a disapproving motion. "No peeking."

Elena scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Well I wouldn't feel the desire to peek if you weren't being so slow with taking out the food!"

Damon let out a hearty laugh and responded, "Someone's being fiesty today."

"No," Elena pouted. "I just haven't eaten in 8 hours because _you_ told me my stomach needed to be prepared for this huge meal that I thought was supposed to be 5 hours ago!" Elena retorted.

Damon laughed again. "Alright, alright." he said giving in and reaching into the basket once again to bring out the first tupperware of food. Thanks to her vampire sense of smell, Elena was able to sniff out the delectable food in the container without even having to open it.

"Is that..." Elena began to ask as her mouth started watering at the thought of her favorite food.

"Yep," Damon said, making a pop noise with the "p" at the end like he usually did. "Eggplant parmesan for my warrior princess."

Elena didn't wait for Damon to set out the other food he had brought. She immediately reached for the container and filled her plate completely before digging in. Eggplant parmesan had become a tradition for Damon and Elena ever since their first date at the Italian restaurant where they had eggplant so good you actually thought you're eating people.

"Mmm," Elena moaned, closing her eyes as she took her first bite. "Damon, this is-"

"Delicious? I know," Damon interrupted with a wink.

Elena would normally make a comment about Damon being so full of himself, but the glorious food before her seemed to be beckoning for her to eat it. She brought her attention back to the food and enjoyed it until every scrape was gone from her plate.

"What's the record for fastest eating?" Damon questioned with amusement in his eyes, "Because I think you just broke it."

Elena's cheek turned red at his comment as she looked up at him. "So, what else did you bring?" Elena asked, avoiding the question. She finally glanced around and noticed that there were two mugs in front of her. They were both similar in that each had a big pink heart on the front of the white cups. The only difference was that one had a picture of Damon's face while the other had a picture of Elena's face.

Elena started to laugh when Damon said, "Before you ask, it was not my idea. Blondie gave these to me and insisted that 'every couple needs their own couple object' - whatever that means - and refused to take no for an answer. And I thought you might like them."

Elena broke into a huge grin. _Typical Caroline._ Although she had to admit, it was kind of cute. "Damon, I love them. Thank you."

She picked up the Damon cup and spun it around in her hands. She noticed the words "Team Delena" written in small print at the bottom of the mug. She smiled at the words and wondered what it meant, though she had a good idea about what it was. She decided she would have a talk with Caroline after this about her creepy and unhealthy obsession with her and Damon's relationship.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she smelled Damon pouring the one thing that aroused her taste buds more than eggplant parmesan into her Damon cup. Blood. And it was fresh. She frowned at the last thought but Damon, knowing full well how she would react, quickly assured her. "Don't worry, no one was hurt in the process of obtaining this blood. At least, no one was hurt by _me,"_ he smirked. "Those hospital nurses can be pretty scary with a needle."

With his words, Elena relaxed and nestled her body into Damon's chest. He had poured himself his own cup and wrapped both of his arms around her body, securing her tightly into him with his chin on top of her head.

Elena sighed in content as she took a sip from her cup. _O-Negative. Her favorite._ "This is nice. I like our life when it's like this. All peaceful and quiet."

Damon took a sip from his Elena cup and replied with a smirk, "Elena, remember what happened the last time you said that."

Elena groaned, thinking back to the time that they were peacefully snuggling on his couch by the fireplace when they were rudely interrupted by Silas, the great witch who got sucked into oblivion. _But there's nothing out there to threaten them now._ Or so she thought.

A few feet behind them, they heard a low growl coming from the bush. Damon instinctively went into protective mode, setting both the Damon and Elena cups down next to them and positioning himself in front of Elena. The bush started rustling and before they knew it, a vicious wolf was lunging at them.

With heightened senses, Damon was about to sense the wolf in mid-air and used his speed to tackle the wolf to the ground. With the wolf held down, Damon yelled, "Elena RUN!"

Elena frantically searched around for a weapon. _I am NOT leaving you here Damon_ she thought. The wolf was struggling hard to get out of Damon's grip, and he was struggling to keep it still while trying not to get bit.

Elena ran to the small dock where she and Damon had their rain kiss and broke a piece of the wood off before using her vamp sped to run back to where Damon and the wolf were fighting for dominance. As she was running, she could tell the wolf was starting to slip out of Damon's grip. As soon as she got close, she plunged the piece of wood into the wolf's chest, but not before it had a chance to bite Damon's shoulder.

The wolf scurried away back into the bush that led to the woods, yelping at the pain along the way. Once the wolf was completely out of sight, Elena turned around to see the bite on Damon's shoulder. That was definitely not just an ordinary wolf. It was a werewolf, and it had bitten Damon.

 _ **Present**_

"Elena..." Damon whispered in a hoarse voice. Elena immediately lifted her head up to meet his eyes. Even at his current state, his eyes still shined bright like the ocean. Upon hearing his voice, Elena's tears began to flow down faster.

"Damon," Elena whispered back. She sniffled and willed her tears to stop. She had to be strong for him. There was still a chance that he could survive. Caroline had tried to contact Klaus as soon as Elena broke the news to her. Caroline, being the great friend that she is, had said she would run to New Orleans if she had to.

"You're going to be okay. Care and everyone else is searching for Klaus. We're going to get his blood and save you. I promise." Elena said, caressing his cheek.

Damon closed his eyes and rested his cheek on her gentle hand and reached up to take Elena's hand in his. "Shh. Elena, we haven't broken any of our promises so far," he murmured while carrying a half-smirk, "and I don't want to start now."

"No, Damon," Elena quickly responded. "Don't talk like that. We _will_ get you that cure." Her eyes dropped low again as she felt her tears starting to well up in her eyes. "We have to..."

Before Damon could speak up, Elena's phone started ringing.

 _Caller ID: Caroline_

Squeezing Damon's hand, she answered her phone with the other. "Hey, any news?" Elena asked hopefully.

"Elena.." Caroline replied tearfully. "Klaus is gone."

She stood up, knocking her chair down to the ground. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What?" she asked with disbelief. "N-No. Care. Please. No-"

"I'm sorry Elena," she replied remorsefully. "Klaus left the country and we have no idea where he is now..."

No. This could not be happening. Her Damon, the love of her life, her soulmate, was not dying on their 5th anniversary. She looked down at him, still holding on to his hand. He had his eyes closed as if he was at peace with his death. This time, she couldn't stop her tears. The phone fell out of her hands as she fell down next to Damon's bed, hugging him close and letting her tears fall onto his shirt.

She felt Damon's hand rise up to her head, stroking it to sooth her as he managed to whisper, "Elena. I love you." She looked up at him with her tearful eyes and quivering lips. "I can't live without you."

Elena sat there, holding on to her boyfriend for dear life fearing for the time she would have to say her final goodbye. Suddenly, she felt a sudden burst of courage go through her.  
 _What am I doing? I shouldn't give up. I CAN'T give up. We are Elena Gilbert and Damon Salvatore, we always survive._

With that thought, Elena lifted herself from the bed and looked down at Damon who was asleep, exhausted from the constant pain he was feeling from the bite. "I am not going to break my promise to you. I will find a way."

She hated to leave Damon at a time like this and risk not getting her final goodbye but she knew she had to do this. She hoped that she would be back before Damon woke, but she left a note just in case.

"I won't break my promise. I love you. Keep fighting.  
-Your Elena"


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, thank you for the review/favorites/follows. I honestly wasn't expecting anything especially after just a day. It's nice to know that my story is being read and enjoyed! Since I failed to clarify the setting of this story last time, I will do that now. This is post 5x22. Damon was sucked into oblivion with Bonnie and they both came back eventually. Elena did not compell away her memories of Damon, instead they lived happily ever after for 5 years until Damon gets bit by a werewolf again. And that is where my story began.

Now, here is Chapter 2 of Perfect Strangers. Thank you for reading!

* * *

After giving Damon one more kiss goodbye, Elena left the note on his bedside table and made her way to the Forbes' residence. Elena had sent out a group text to her best friends, Bonnie and Caroline, to meet her at Care's house. She needed Bonnie to help her figure out a loophole, or anything, to keep Damon alive; Caroline was there for emotional support.

Five minutes later, she had arrived at her best friend's childhood home. She didn't bother knocking as Caroline most likely noticed her presence with her vampire senses. She walked in to see Bonnie already at work with her spells while Caroline was on the phone, frantically walking back and forth and looking distressed.

"Klaus, this is my 127th voicemail. If I hit 150 and you still haven't answered, then you better expect an angry Caroline Forbes in your near future and trust me, you do NOT want that!" Caroline cried out. Her voice began to break as she whispered her next words, "Please, we need you."

Elena truly appreciated her friend's efforts. Despite the fact that their chance of finding Klaus was dwindling every minute that passed, she still continued to fight for Elena and Damon. Elena walked up to her friend and gently rested her hand on Caroline's shoulder. "Hey, Care."

Caroline looked up from her phone to see Elena looking back at her with puffy, red eyes. "Oh, Elena!" she said as she hugged her best friend.

"I'm so sorry," Caroline began. "Klaus just vanished. He left without a trace - no one knows where he is and for some reason Bonnie wasn't able to track him with her locator spell!"

Elena hugged her friend back as she replied, "It's okay. If Klaus can't be our solution, we will find another way. We're going to save Damon. I have a good feeling about this."

Releasing herself from the hug, Caroline looked at her friend with sorrow. "I hope so," she sniffled and gave a small smile. "How am I going to make more Delena couple objects if Damon is gone."

Elena couldn't help but smile back at Caroline's attempt to lighten the mood. As Caroline walked away to make another call to Klaus, Elena went over to Bonnie, who was sitting on the floor of the living room with brightly lit candles surrounding her. She was deeply concentrated on chanting a certain spell over and over again.

"Phesmatos Manex, Un Domo Hax, Fero Adiuvex." Bonnie repeated.

"It's the same spell she used to contact Emily last time Damon was bit," Caroline chipped in from the other room. "She thinks Emily knows a spell that can save Damon."

Elena looked over at Bonnie's face, which was scrunched up in concentration. Although Elena was getting impatient, she knew it would do no good if she interrupted Bonnie now. She sat down close to Bonnie, careful not to touch the flames. Closing her eyes, Elena let her thoughts drift to Damon. Her sexy, impulsive, and passionate Damon with a heart of gold who made her feel like the most special girl in the world. Tears began to sting at her eyes and without realizing it, a tear had fallen down and landed on a page of Bonnie's grimoire.

 _Emily. I don't know if you can hear me, but I need to save Damon._ Elena thought in her head, silently hoping that somehow Emily could hear her desperation. _I can't endure losing him again. Please._

Suddenly, the flames around Bonnie grew larger and brighter. The chanting came to a stop as Bonnie's eyes flew open and landed on Elena.

"Elena Gilbert," Bonnie's voice called out. "What you request cannot be easily accomplished."

That was definitely Bonnie's voice but something seemed a little off. Wait, had Emily heard Elena's desperate pleas and was now speaking to her through Bonnie? "Emily..?" Elena asked hesitantly.

"There is a way to save your Damon Salvatore," Bonnie's voice began to explain. "However, what you wish for is a form of dark magic and with dark magic comes great risks."

"The risks don't matter. I will do anything to keep him alive." Elena replied quickly.

"You could very well lose everything dear to you and there will be no going back once this decision is made." Bonnie's voice said. "Are you sure you want this?"

Elena nodded with certainty. "Yes, I'm sure. I need Damon in my life."

"Very well then. Just remember, I warned you."

With that, Bonnie's head snapped up to the ceiling and the fire blazed even brighter than before. Her body began convulsing as her heart rate sky rocketed.

"Bonnie!?" Elena exclaimed before quickly reaching for her best friend. Just as soon as it had begun, it was over. Bonnie's body fell limp into Elena's arm and a trail of blood was trickling down her nose. Caroline rushed into the room when she heard the screaming and immediately noticed the blood on Bonnie's face.

"What happened?" Caroline asked as she knelt down next to Bonnie's body.

"I-I don't know. I think she was possessed by Emily and then she began convulsing and passed out." Elena explained.

All of a sudden, Bonnie's eyes flew open and she looked around as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. She looked up at Elena's worried face and all of these images came rushing back to her head. Images of Damon and Elena appeared. They were laying side by side motionless, then it changed to a different image of Damon and Elena in what seemed to be like the future but they weren't vampires. They were human.

Bonnie sat up and looked into the worried eyes of her two best friends. "I know how to save Damon."

* * *

Elena pulled up to the driveway of the Salvatore boarding house. She had just returned from Caroline's house where Bonnie, Caroline, Stefan, Alaric, Matt, and Jeremy (via Skype) had formulated a plan to save Damon with the spell. The girls had called everyone else after Bonnie received her vision from Emily. They discussed the spell itself and the consequences that would result from doing this. There were many objections, especially from Jeremy, but eventually they had all agreed to go with the plan. Elena knew she was hurting those she loved, but she also knew that she would never forgive herself if she didn't at least try. And she wasn't sure she could live with that guilt on top of losing Damon.

Elena used her vampire speed to get to Damon's room, where he was still asleep. His hair was damp from all the sweat and his shirt was off, revealing the effects of the wolf bite that was now spreading down to his arms. Careful not to wake him, Elena slowly laid herself down next to him and wrapped her arms around his body delicately. Seeing him this vulnerable brought tears to her eyes.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," Elena said as she held him tighter. "But it's okay, we've found a way to save you. You're going to be okay, Damon."

She needed to tell Damon about her plan, but not wanting to wake him she did the next best thing. She leaned her head against his, closed her eyes and let herself into his thoughts.

 **In Damon's head**

"Damon," he heard a familiar voice say.

He turned around. "Elena?"

There she was, stunning as usual in the same clothes that she wore on the first day they had met. They were standing on a wide open road, illuminated by the night's shining moon, surrounded by tall trees on both sides.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as he reached for her hands to bring her closer to him.

"I thought it would be sweet to reminisce about the time that we first met on our five year anniversary." she replied with a smile.

He leaned down to give her a small kiss, still holding on to her hands. "How symbolic of you," he said while leaning his forehead against hers. "But we both know the real reason why you're here. It's because I'm dying."

Elena flinched at his bluntness. Just hearing the word "dying" brought shivers down her spine. She squeezed his hands and looked him directly into his mesmerizing eyes. It was time to tell him the truth. With a deep breathe, she began to tell him. "Damon listen to me. You're not going to die. We found a way to save you."

Damon groaned at her words. "Please tell me Stefan isn't selling his soul yet again to the devil, also known as Klaus."

"No. We weren't able to reach Klaus. But Bonnie - she found a way. There's a spell that can save you Damon!" Elena told him excitedly.

Damon felt skeptical. He'd done his research about werewolf bites when Rose had got bitten, but he had never found anything useful. It was a miracle that Klaus's blood could heal the bites, and when he heard that there was a witchy witch spell that could save him? He just couldn't believe it. That was 2 miracles. No one was that lucky enough to get magically saved twice. And considering all the bad things Damon has done in his past he didn't deserve to be saved. Hell, he didn't even deserve to be saved the first time.

"Elena, I don't want you to get your hopes up, but a spell like that probably has bad consequences." Damon said.

She immediately looked down, scared to reveal these next few words. "We'll have to die." Elena reluctantly said.

Damon was shocked and a little bit angry. Not angry at the fact that the spell required him to die, but the fact that Elena had to die as well and she was okay with that. Slipping his hands out of Elena's grip, he replied with indignation, "Last time I checked saving someone does not involve death. In fact, that is the complete opposite of what saving means. And I sure as hell will not allow you to die for me Elena."

Elena was quick to respond. "No Damon, let me finish. We will have to die, but the spell will bind our souls to the earth. After a certain amount of time, our souls will be reborn again. We'll get a second chance."

 _A second chance. Who would've thought that the selfish, evil Damon Salvatore would get the chance to start over._ He must have dwelled in his thoughts for too long because Elena once again spoke up.

"Tell me you wouldn't do the same thing for me if the roles were reversed."

She had me there. If Elena's life was at risk, he would do absolutely anything to keep her alive. Even if that meant endangering his own life. "Elena," he began as he caressed her face in his hands. "You know I would do everything in my power to keep you safe. But this spell? You could potentially lose everyone that you ever loved. Jeremy, Alaric, Bonnie, Car-"

Elena interrupted him as she grabbed onto his hands that were holding her face. "I know what I'm signing up for Damon and I'm all in. I would rather start over and risk losing everything I've ever had in this life than lose you for eternity. Damon you need to understand. If the universe loses you, then it loses me too. I can't live without you." she said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "As long as there's even a small glimmer of chance that you and I can be together, I'm going to take it. Why isn't that good enough for you?"

Damon sighed and wiped the tears staining her cheeks. If he was being honest, he would make the same choice that Elena is making if their roles were switched. He agreed that the small glimmer of chance of them being together was better than losing each other forever. Tucking a strand of her chocolate hair behind her ear, he gently kissed her forehead. "It's good enough for me. I love you, Elena. And if losing everything I have in this life - including vampirism - is what it takes, then I'll do it."

Elena smiled and leaned up to kiss him. When their lips touched, it started a fire inside of them that neither could control. Even after years, Damon and Elena could not get enough of each other. Their lips moved together in perfect synchronization that spent sparks of desire coursing through every part of their bodies. As his hand dove into her soft, brown hair, she moaned into his lips and moved her own hands around his neck, bringing him closer into her.

When their lips broke apart, they were both gasping for breath. The kiss had rendered them breathless, like it always did. "That's how we'll know." Elena whispered into his lips.

"What?" Damon asked, still tingling from their kiss.

"When we start over, that's how we'll know we belong to each other."

Damon smiled and gave her another kiss. "Elena you once told me how you always seem to find your way back to me. This time, I will find my way back to you."

Hearing this from Damon gave Elena hope that this spell would not be done in vain. They will find each other in their next lives and fall deeply in love all over again.

"We will find a way back to each other."

* * *

End of Chapter 2. I hope you guys enjoyed it. The spell will be explained more in detail in the next chapter. Stay tuned~


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, readers! First off, I'd like to apologize for the late update. I recently started a new job that requires me to work long hours and I am just so exhausted by the end of the day. I also tend to write only when I have inspiration because when I force myself to write, it ends up being really terrible. But I've managed to find the time and inspiration to write this chapter, so here it is! To the reviewers, thank you for your kind reviews, I truly appreciate them. I hope you will continue to follow me on this challenging yet exciting journey of writing a fanfiction story for the first time! Here is Chapter 3 of Perfect Strangers. Enjoy~**

 ***Side note* This chapter begins at Caroline's house right after she received her vision from Emily. I probably should have written this in the last chapter right before Elena went back to Damon, but I was getting impatient with myself and decided to leave all this stuff out to write in Chapter 3. Sorry! :P I hope it doesn't confuse you guys too much.**

* * *

 _(At Caroline's house before Elena ran back to Damon)_

"Elena," Bonnie pleaded desperately. "I want to save Damon too, but this is too risky."

"I can't believe this. I've lost too many people to count on one hand and now my only living family is willingly sacrificing her life. This is bull shit. How is this fair?" Jeremy spoke with contempt from the screen of Bonnie's laptop.

"He's right, Elena." Alaric said as he took a sip of his 5th drink of the day. "As much as I want to keep Damon alive, we can't lose you too. Jeremy has lost enough people in his life."

Elena sighed. She expected this from her loved ones. She was practically committing suicide, they had every right to object to her plans. But this was Damon they were talking about. A life without Damon was not a life worth living for her.

"Except you're not going to lose me. Jere, I'm not going to stay dead forever; I'm coming back to life." she explained.

"But who knows when you're coming back?" Jeremy began. "You could come back 100 years from now, when we're all dead except for Stefan and Caroline. I could never see you again. How can I let you do this when there's such a big risk of losing my sister forever?"

"Actually," Bonnie interrupted. "In my vision I was told the reincarnation would happen on the night of the next upcoming comet."

Upon hearing this, Stefan perked up. "That would be Halley's comet. The last one came 60 years ago, so that means the next one will be in 15 years." he said doing the calculation in his head.

"See, Jere, you will see me again." Elena confirmed.

"Bonnie I thought you were on my side?" Jeremy questioned.

"Oh, I'm still against Elena going through with this plan. But the fact is that Damon and Elena will be reincarnated in 15 years when the comet occurs. Of course, there's still other complications which is why I don't want Elena to go through with this." Bonnie explained.

"Like?" Caroline asked, who was standing next to Stefan with a comforting hand on his shoulder.

All eyes were on Bonnie as she began to explain the technicalities of the spell. "When they become reincarnated, Damon and Elena will have no memories of their past lives. Everything and everyone they have known in this life will be completely wiped from their memories. It'll be like their memories were compelled away. They are basically starting over."

Jeremy groaned. "Elena losing her memories is just as worse as not being able to see her ever again."

"I need another drink." Alaric said as he walked away from the room. Stefan sighed and bent his head down, holding it with his hands as Caroline held him close comfortingly.

Elena contemplated her choices. Either she could not go through with the spell and lose Damon forever, or she could do the spell and be reincarnated into a brand new person with no memories of her past life. But at least Damon would be alive. Just thinking about losing Damon for eternity caused a deep pain in her chest, one she knew that she would never get over. It was physically impossible for Elena to live without Damon.

"I'm going to do it." Elena broke the silence. "I _need_ to do this."

She faced the computer screen which held Jeremy's heartbroken face. "Jeremy, I know how much this hurts you. If I were in your position, I would probably be outraged too. But I can't just let the only chance to save Damon get away. I won't be able to live with myself if I don't try."

She turned to look at the others, Stefan, Caroline, and Bonnie. "Damon and I - we will come back to you guys. Even if we're losing all of our memories, it won't take away our bond. Just like compulsion can't take away your feelings. We can find each other again, and if I don't, I know you guys will."

The room was quiet as everyone looked down sullenly, thinking about the big impact this spell would have on their lives.

After a few seconds, Jeremy was the first to speak up. "Okay." He began. "I love you, Elena. And I would rather take the chance of you coming back to life and being with us again then watch you live the rest of eternity in misery."

Tears streamed down Elena's cheeks. "Thank you, Jere."

Caroline walked up to Elena and embraced her. "I can't believe I'm letting you do this but I saw how miserable you were when you lost Damon the first time." Pushing herself back, she gently smiled at her best friend. "I support your decision."

Bonnie laid her hand on Elena's shoulder and gave her a smile. "Me too. I'll help you do this, Elena."

Alaric, who had walked in during Elena's confession also held her. "You and Damon are the two craziest people I've ever met in my life. If Jeremy is okay with this, then I will support you too Elena."

"Elena, I was willing to do whatever it takes to save my brother. Thank you for doing this." Stefan said.

Elena smiled at all the support she was receiving from her loved ones. They were going to save Damon.

* * *

 _(At the Salvatore boarding house, after Elena and Damon's moment)_

Bonnie, Stefan, Caroline, and Elena were seated in the living room of the Salvatore Boarding house. Jeremy had booked a plane ticket to Mystic Falls immediately after their meeting at Bonnie's house. Alaric was gathering supplies for the spell that would happen tonight.

"In the vision there was a stake bound by both Damon and Elena's blood. I will have to connect your lives together with a connection spell like Esther did when she was trying to kill her children. After that..." Bonnie trailed off looking nervous to say her next words.

"Tell us, Bonnie." Elena insisted.

"I-I'll have to dagger you, Elena."

Caroline gasped. "What?! Why can't it be something peaceful like Bonnie uses one of her spells to put them in a permanent sleep?"

"Well, this spell _is_ considered dark magic." Stefan explained.

"But still! A dagger? Oh my God." Caroline exclaimed.

"It's fine." Elena said sternly. She admitted, she was a bit anxious about getting daggered but she would do whatever it takes to save her Damon.

"Then when I dagger you, the link between you and Damon will allow him to be killed too." Bonnie said.

At that point, Alaric walked in holding a bag full of supplies for the ritual. "Candles, dagger, knife, and a bowl. I got it all." He said, setting it down next to Bonnie.

"Okay, Elena we can start whenever you want. Just give me the word." Bonnie explained to her. Before Elena could respond, Stefan spoke up.

"Wait - I want to talk to my brother before we do the spell." he said, getting up from his seat.

"Of course, go ahead." Elena nodded.

"I'm going with you." Alaric added.

Stefan and Alaric headed up to say their final goodbyes to Damon as Elena sat down between Bonnie and Caroline. She reached for both of their hands.

"I want you guys to promise me something," Elena began. "Promise me that when Damon and I are born again, you will reunite him with Stefan. Stefan needs his brother just as much as I need him."

"Of course, Elena." Bonnie confirmed, squeezing her hand.

"We're going to find you and Damon the second that you guys are re-born and make sure you guys come back to us!" Caroline added with determination.

Elena blew out a sigh of relief and squeezed her best friends' hands. "Thank you guys." she said.

She began to think of all the things that have happened in the past few years. She went from being Elena Gilbert, the former-party girl who lost her parents, to Elena Gilbert, the vampire and soul mate of the notorious Damon Salvatore. Bonnie and Caroline has been through so much with her that if her life were written into a book, it would most likely become a best seller fictional novel. She started giggling about the thought that at one point in their lives they were simply innocent girls, completely oblivious to the supernatural.

"What's so funny?" Caroline asked as Bonnie gave her a weird face.

"It's just - our lives have changed so drastically. Only a few years ago our biggest worry was what we would wear to homecoming and now here we are waiting to kill me so that my boyfriend and I can come back to life in 15 years."

They all laughed at the ridiculousness of her last statement and reminisced about their old days before the supernatural entered their lives.

"You know, I'm glad that things turned out the way they did." Caroline said.

"Except for what's going on right now..." Bonnie added.

"Right, except for that." Caroline agreed. "But our lives would be so different if we weren't surrounded by all this supernatural stuff. And I don't mean good different."

"You're right, Care. I know I didn't want to be a vampire when I first turned but I found myself accepting it as the days went on. The promise that love could be eternal, and having that with Damon really made me appreciate vampirism." Elena explained.

"You both know I'm not very fond of the vampire species, but I love you guys." Bonnie said looking at Caroline and Elena. "I'm going to miss you so much Elena."

All three girls teared up as they realized that this would be their final goodbye.

"I say this calls for another group hug." Caroline said, bringing both girls into a hug.

The hug was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Jeremy had walked in and went straight to Elena, pulling her away from Caroline and Bonnie and holding her close to himself.

"Elena, you are officially the worst sibling in the whole existence of siblings." He said. "But I love you."

"Jere..." Elena whispered as she hugged him back tenderly. They hugged for a while before he finally let go.

"You better come back to us or I swear to God I will track you myself and drag you back to Mystic Falls." Jeremy told her. "I don't care if you won't have your memories or not, I need you."

"Oh, we already got that covered!" Caroline pointed out.

"Yep, I'll use a tracking spell to track Elena as she grows up in her next life." Bonnie reassured him.

Elena reached up to his shoulders in a reassuring manner. "I will come back to you," She said, looking around the room at everyone. "All of you."

At this point, Stefan had stormed down the stairs in a panic. "Damon is fading, we need to do the spell soon." he yelled.

All of a sudden, the whole room was a blur with Bonnie and Jeremy setting up the supplies she needed to do the spell. Caroline vamp sped up the stairs with Stefan to help them bring Damon down, and Elena following them in fear of losing her lover before the spell could be done. In a few minutes, everyone was downstairs, including Damon who had sweat dripping on every inch of his body.

Elena was by Damon's side, holding onto his body to make sure he wouldn't fall and whispering comforting words into his ears. She looked down at Damon's chest and noticed the gruesome effects of the bite mark. There were red gashes oozing with blood all over. It had spread faster than she'd expected. They needed to do this spell now, she thought.

"We need to do this now!" Elena exclaimed.

"Ok, I need Elena on one table and Damon on the other." Bonnie commanded.

In the middle of the living room, there were two tables set up side by side with candles surrounding the tables in a circle.

Stefan and Caroline laid Damon down on the table to the right of Elena where she had laid herself down.

The atmosphere of the room was tense as Stefan, Caroline, Jeremy, and Alaric watched Bonnie slit a gash on both Damon and Elena's wrists to gather their blood into a single bowl. Once she had enough, she grabbed a perfectly sharpened stake and began mixing the blood while chanting the words "Phasmatos Inta Grum Vin Callus Amalon Callagius Accodum. Cosom Naben Dox Callagius Amalon Gaeda Callagius. Ceremum Descendiumn Vinum. Phasmatos Inta Grum Callus. Cosom Naben Dox."

Every single candle in the room simultaneously lit up. Damon and Elena's blood separated into two streams as each began trailing up the stake, intertwining like snakes at every corner until it reached the top. The stake glowed a bright red before the blood on the stake hardened.

"It's done. You guys are linked." Bonnie said. She walked up to Elena's table holding the weapon that would inevitably kill her best friend.

"Are you ready?" she asked hesitantly.

Elena nodded. _It was time,_ she thought. She gulped and found Damon's hand dangling from the side of his table. She squeezed his hands and let herself into his thoughts one more time.

 _Sound of laughter. Damon turned his head and was greeted by his smiling Elena, holding a small child with similar brown hair and striking blue eyes. He reached for the child just as the child reached for him._

 _"Dada!" The girl exclaimed as she wrapped her little arms around Damon's neck._

 _"Hey, how are my two favorite girls in the world doing today?" He asked the child as he tickled her belly. That resulted in a soft giggle from the girl and another loving smile from Elena._

 _"Mama give me dis today!" The girl said. She held out a silver, heart-shaped locket with two intricate heart patterns that embellished the center. Damon took the locket and opened it up. Inside he found two pictures. On the left was a picture of a tiny infant wearing a flower petal headband sound asleep in a bundle of blankets, undoubtedly the girl, and on the right was a picture of Damon and Elena seated at a restaurant, staring into each others' eyes and smiling like idiots. It was a picture taken on the night of their first date._

 _"So she'll know we are always in her heart no matter where we are." Elena explained._

 _Damon smiled at the thoughtful gesture and pulled her in for a kiss. Just as their lips were about to touch, the little girl intervened, holding each of her hands to Damon and Elena's faces. "Eww! No kissey. You get cooties!" she exclaimed._

 _Damon and Elena threw their heads back and laughed at the remarks coming from their little bundle of joy._

It was a sweet image of what their life could be like in the future - what she hoped it would be like when they met again. She wanted Damon to be at peace when they died. She looked over to Damon who had a single tear rolling down his cheeks. She smiled softly and squeezed his hands again, finding comfort in the fact that his last thoughts were of them.

She turned back to look at Bonnie who was staring down at her anxiously. "Ok, I'm ready." Elena said, still holding onto Damon's hand. She looked at the faces of every single person in the room. Not one was tearless.

Bonnie walked up to Elena's body and brought the stake to her chest.

She began to cry and her hands trembled at the thought of what she had to do next. "Elena..." she said tearfully.

"Shhh," Elena soothed. "Find us."

"I will, I promise. I will." Bonnie said nodding her head.

She raised the stake into the air and in a second it was plunged into Elena's unbeating heart.

The room filled with gasps and sobs as Caroline hid her face behind Stefan's shoulder. Stefan was struggling to stay strong after seeing his former love and brother be killed right in front of his eyes. Alaric reached for Jeremy who was crying for the loss of his sister, and Bonnie shakily broke down to the ground as tears mercilessly fell down her face.

In a matter of seconds, Elena Gilbert's undead life came to an end, as did Damon Salvatore's. The world seemed significantly dull without these two twin flames to ignite this world.


End file.
